[cobirds] BROWN BOOBY photographed on June 22 in Left-hand Canyon, Boulder County-not a joke.

This is not a prank or a joke.

About an hour ago Paula Hansley, experienced Boulder County birder, and a long-time friend of mine, was sent a clear nearly frame-filing 

photo of a Brown Booby on a rock in a rushing mountain stream. The photographer, whose name I am trying to find

was said to have stopped on the way up the road and took the photo. JUNE 22. On his way back down he could not

find it. Seen near the small town of Rowena on Left Hand Canyon, I  WAS TOLD

The story is that he took the photo to the Wild Birds Store in Boulder and it made its way to Steve Jones today, then 

on to Paula. Steve knows the photographer and will probably let us know that the guy is not a prankster or given 

to photoshopping. 

That is ALL I know!

We do know that boobies wander and have been loyal to a spot (like a diving board at a pool) for weeks on end).

In that situation they are confiding, not to mention \probably starving. 

This is NOT a joke.

I sent the photo to a few birders who may be more adept than I am at posting the photo here on COBirds.

I suggest that if any birder has time tomorrow, Tuesday June 28, they check water bodies near the sighting 

as this booby may turn up again and glory to the re-finder.

My guess is that IF this mega-rarity is refund, 200+ birders and several newspaper reporters will go to see it. Please post ASAP to CObirds and make some phone calls.

Here is Paula's note:

"I just received a report and picture of an adult brown booby that was seen on the ground in Left Hand Canyon !  Unfortunately, no one knows what happened to it.

I immediately thought of the talk that Bryan Guarente gave on weather and bird migration at a DFO meeting.  I emailed him and asked if he could check the wind flow patterns before June 22! 

I'm fascinated by vagrants!

Paula"

Joe Roller, Denver

My cell phone is 303 204-0828. 

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[cobirds] various subjects

Interesting discussion of the well-known phenomenon of cowbird parasitism.  My most vivid observation of this came in 2011 at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.  On the July17th I watched two parent Ruby-crowned Kinglets delivering food to a striped, full-grown cowbird fledgling.  While the obviously pushed-to-the-edge adults were off gathering food for their monstrous foster child, the cowbird youngster flew to the ground and fed rather normally in the grass.  When the adults came back, the cowbird flew up to a spruce branch, quivered, fluttered and called loudly.  As Chuck described, the parent heads literally disappeared in the gaping red cowbird mouth.  The only item being delivered I could identify was a winged Cooley gall adelgid ("woolly aphid"), which at the time were emerging en mass from drying galls on spruce.  At least in 2011, it was stated in the BNA account for RcrKinglet that although this species had been observed feeding cowbird nestlings, it was unknown if they could actually pull off the task of getting these nest parasites all the way to the finish line (that is, independent life).  I think based on what I saw, they can and apparently some of the others who have responded here concur.

 

 

The other day I posted about Grandview Cemetery's current hummingbird activity.  The Broad-tailed Hummingbird nest in Douglas-fir near the entry bridge hosting the female I am all but certain was also carrying thistle fluff to a second nest under construction was empty today.  I saw two young nestlings being fed as late at last Saturday (June25).  Something either took the babies, or, just as likely, a strong wind blew this nest, positioned precariously on the side of a nearly vertical branch, to the point of dumping the young.  Since the nest looked to be in tact, maybe it really was the wind. 

North of Fort Collins on Larimer CR5, our Boulder County Nature Association class field trip on 6/26 witnessed the activities of two families of recently-fledged Loggerhead Shrikes.  One of the class members, Sandra Larsen, found a freshly-impaled female Lark Bunting head on the fence in the middle of one shrike territory.

  As yellow warblers know, breeding season is full of perils.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

Re: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

Sorry meant to send this email to someone else!

On Jun 27, 2016, at 5:08 PM, Terry Hunter <tbirdh@comcast.net> wrote:

You both may already know the info in the below Cobird (bird postings in CO) emails. I did not know the #1 and #2 host species for Cowbirds were the Yellow Warbler and Song Sparrow. Yipes!

On Jun 27, 2016, at 12:20 PM, Jim Nelson <kingfishers2@verizon.net> wrote:

Brian,

 

It is interesting to see how many different species raise Cowbird chicks.  According to the species account in Birds of North America Online, one comprehensive source found that Yellow Warblers are the most frequent host species for Brown-headed Cowbirds.  At home here in Maryland, I see Song Sparrows (which are the number two most frequent host species) feeding Cowbird chicks in our yard every summer. 

 

The largest size disparity I have ever witnessed was a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding a significantly bigger Cowbird chick in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

Jim Nelson

Bethesda, Maryland

 

From: buntingrobinjay@gmail.com

Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 1:49 PM

To: Colorado Birds

Subject: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

 

Today while walking along my favorite part of the Mary Carter Greenway I encounter an odd looking bird that I could not figure out. It was all brown with fine streaks along the breast and belly but the bill was wrong for a finch and it was too big. Then I noticed it was flapping around from branch to branch frantically, and I noticed it was chasing a yellow warbler male and constantly calling. I could not make sense of why this bird would be chasing a warbler and calling like that. Finley both stopped on a Russian olive branch and I was able to get a better view. I observed the warbler glean an insect (likely a gnat) and take it lower down to the unknown bird and stick it in the bird's mouth. It finally came together then. This was a recently fledged juvenile brown headed cowbird that the warbler believed to be its offspring. It was certainly dwarfed by the cowbird. I have not seen this in the wild before, I have one nature programs but that was it. Interesting behavior to watch, not all that good for the warblers however. Hopefully their population will not be to affected by this along the river. This was at the mile marker 12, the dirt walking path goes through some woods that is a favorite for warblers and other birds. Thought I would share this.

Brian Johnson

Englewood CO

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Re: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

You both may already know the info in the below Cobird (bird postings in CO) emails. I did not know the #1 and #2 host species for Cowbirds were the Yellow Warbler and Song Sparrow. Yipes!

On Jun 27, 2016, at 12:20 PM, Jim Nelson <kingfishers2@verizon.net> wrote:

Brian,

 

It is interesting to see how many different species raise Cowbird chicks.  According to the species account in Birds of North America Online, one comprehensive source found that Yellow Warblers are the most frequent host species for Brown-headed Cowbirds.  At home here in Maryland, I see Song Sparrows (which are the number two most frequent host species) feeding Cowbird chicks in our yard every summer. 

 

The largest size disparity I have ever witnessed was a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding a significantly bigger Cowbird chick in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

Jim Nelson

Bethesda, Maryland

 

From: buntingrobinjay@gmail.com

Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 1:49 PM

To: Colorado Birds

Subject: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

 

Today while walking along my favorite part of the Mary Carter Greenway I encounter an odd looking bird that I could not figure out. It was all brown with fine streaks along the breast and belly but the bill was wrong for a finch and it was too big. Then I noticed it was flapping around from branch to branch frantically, and I noticed it was chasing a yellow warbler male and constantly calling. I could not make sense of why this bird would be chasing a warbler and calling like that. Finley both stopped on a Russian olive branch and I was able to get a better view. I observed the warbler glean an insect (likely a gnat) and take it lower down to the unknown bird and stick it in the bird's mouth. It finally came together then. This was a recently fledged juvenile brown headed cowbird that the warbler believed to be its offspring. It was certainly dwarfed by the cowbird. I have not seen this in the wild before, I have one nature programs but that was it. Interesting behavior to watch, not all that good for the warblers however. Hopefully their population will not be to affected by this along the river. This was at the mile marker 12, the dirt walking path goes through some woods that is a favorite for warblers and other birds. Thought I would share this.

Brian Johnson

Englewood CO

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[cobirds] Re: Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

Last friday, Art Hudak & were at Genesee Mountain Park (Jefferson County,) and we too saw a Dark-eyed Junco feeding a BHCO chick.

Good birding!

Tom Behnfield

Lakewood, CO

behnfield@q.com

On Monday, June 27, 2016 at 11:49:29 AM UTC-6, bunting...@gmail.com wrote:

Today while walking along my favorite part of the Mary Carter Greenway I encounter an odd looking bird that I could not figure out. It was all brown with fine streaks along the breast and belly but the bill was wrong for a finch and it was too big. Then I noticed it was flapping around from branch to branch frantically, and I noticed it was chasing a yellow warbler male and constantly calling. I could not make sense of why this bird would be chasing a warbler and calling like that. Finley both stopped on a Russian olive branch and I was able to get a better view. I observed the warbler glean an insect (likely a gnat) and take it lower down to the unknown bird and stick it in the bird's mouth. It finally came together then. This was a recently fledged juvenile brown headed cowbird that the warbler believed to be its offspring. It was certainly dwarfed by the cowbird. I have not seen this in the wild before, I have one nature programs but that was it. Interesting behavior to watch, not all that good for the warblers however. Hopefully their population will not be to affected by this along the river. This was at the mile marker 12, the dirt walking path goes through some woods that is a favorite for warblers and other birds. Thought I would share this.

Brian Johnson

Englewood CO

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Re: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

Although I've seen species as large as Red-winged Blackbird parasitized by cowbirds, I've been amazed at how often the victims are much smaller species. Several years back while atlasing in northern New Mexico, I often found Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Virginia's Warblers feeding young cowbirds.During the second Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, I photographed a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet repeatedly stuffing extremely small bugs into the gaping mouth of a begging cowbird. The kinglet's head nearly disappeared in the mouth of the cowbird chick.

Chuck Hundertmark

Lafayette, CO

On Jun 27, 2016, at 11:49 AM, buntingrobinjay@gmail.com wrote:

Today while walking along my favorite part of the Mary Carter Greenway I encounter an odd looking bird that I could not figure out. It was all brown with fine streaks along the breast and belly but the bill was wrong for a finch and it was too big. Then I noticed it was flapping around from branch to branch frantically, and I noticed it was chasing a yellow warbler male and constantly calling. I could not make sense of why this bird would be chasing a warbler and calling like that. Finley both stopped on a Russian olive branch and I was able to get a better view. I observed the warbler glean an insect (likely a gnat) and take it lower down to the unknown bird and stick it in the bird's mouth. It finally came together then. This was a recently fledged juvenile brown headed cowbird that the warbler believed to be its offspring. It was certainly dwarfed by the cowbird. I have not seen this in the wild before, I have one nature programs but that was it. Interesting behavior to watch, not all that good for the warblers however. Hopefully their population will not be to affected by this along the river. This was at the mile marker 12, the dirt walking path goes through some woods that is a favorite for warblers and other birds. Thought I would share this.

Brian Johnson

Englewood CO

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Re: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

This cowbird chick was being raised last week by Gray-headed Junco in the hills west of Fort Collins. 

Nick Komar

Fort Collins CO

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 27, 2016, at 12:20 PM, Jim Nelson <kingfishers2@verizon.net> wrote:

Brian,

 

It is interesting to see how many different species raise Cowbird chicks.  According to the species account in Birds of North America Online, one comprehensive source found that Yellow Warblers are the most frequent host species for Brown-headed Cowbirds.  At home here in Maryland, I see Song Sparrows (which are the number two most frequent host species) feeding Cowbird chicks in our yard every summer. 

 

The largest size disparity I have ever witnessed was a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding a significantly bigger Cowbird chick in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

Jim Nelson

Bethesda, Maryland

 

From: buntingrobinjay@gmail.com

Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 1:49 PM

To: Colorado Birds

Subject: [cobirds] Yellow Warbler and Cowbird, Arapahoe County

 

Today while walking along my favorite part of the Mary Carter Greenway I encounter an odd looking bird that I could not figure out. It was all brown with fine streaks along the breast and belly but the bill was wrong for a finch and it was too big. Then I noticed it was flapping around from branch to branch frantically, and I noticed it was chasing a yellow warbler male and constantly calling. I could not make sense of why this bird would be chasing a warbler and calling like that. Finley both stopped on a Russian olive branch and I was able to get a better view. I observed the warbler glean an insect (likely a gnat) and take it lower down to the unknown bird and stick it in the bird's mouth. It finally came together then. This was a recently fledged juvenile brown headed cowbird that the warbler believed to be its offspring. It was certainly dwarfed by the cowbird. I have not seen this in the wild before, I have one nature programs but that was it. Interesting behavior to watch, not all that good for the warblers however. Hopefully their population will not be to affected by this along the river. This was at the mile marker 12, the dirt walking path goes through some woods that is a favorite for warblers and other birds. Thought I would share this.

Brian Johnson

Englewood CO

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